Sensible gun measures curb violence

Carroll County Times (Maryland) ^ | 28 May 2013 | John Culleton

[Sgt_Schultze]

On May 22 the Board of Commissioners of Carroll County, with much pomp and puffery, passed a resolution declaring Carroll County to be a “Second Amendment Sanctuary County,” and declaring Maryland’s “Fire Arm Safety Act of 2013” to be unconstitutional.

This resolution will have all the legal effect of shaking one’s fist at a thunderstorm. It may make you feel better, but that doesn’t change the rainfall by a drop.

- snip -

In New York City, gun violence has been dramatically reduced by strong measures at the state level and even stronger measures sponsored by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. These include a measure making it very difficult for individuals to get concealed carry permits. The Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to that law. As a result, New York City has the second lowest homicide rate in the nation, 2.72 per hundred thousand residents, right behind San Jose.

In contrast, Baltimore City has 18.2 homicides per hundred thousand, more that six times as many deaths. So what is the difference? New York state and city have strict laws and enforce them vigorously. Baltimore has weaker laws, and Baltimore judges tend not to punish violators even if convicted. But it is safe to predict that the homicide rate in Baltimore will decline if and when the new state law is vigorously enforced.

- snip -

John Culleton writes from Eldersburg. His column appears every second Tuesday. Email him at cct@wexfordpress.com.

[Sgt_Schultze]

My mom sent me a link to this column. It's especially funny where he attributes a "low homicide rate" in New York City to making concealed carry permits impossible to obtain. Those New York CCW holders must be different than all others in that they are violent criminals (in the estimation of the stooge leftist author).

In his next point, he attributes Baltimore's hyper-violence to lax enforcement and "Baltimore judges tend not to punish violators even if convicted." I don't know if Baltimore/Maryland permit concealed carry. But it is funny that the leftist thinks more laws are going to change a culture of non-enforcement by leftists jurists who already ignore enforcing current laws.

[puppypusher]

Yea!sure.So that only the Police have the guns.That way they can peacefully go out of their way and shoot the dogs they just happen to run into.

[stephenjohnbanker]

Sensible gun measures = Owning a gun.

[ozzymandus]

This writer is a typical leftist moron, immune to the truth.

[LibLieSlayer]

“Common sense” or “sensible” are COMMUNIST BUZZ WORDS. “SHALL NOT BE INFRINGED”!!! I am willing to defend the Bill of Rights with my life and if you have plans to steal my rights away... you had better be prepared to do the same.

LLS

[Jeff Winston]

“Comments have been disabled.”

[Da Coyote]

Bull Obama.

It must really be sad to be a liberal and find logic that takes more than one step to be beyond their mental capabilities.

[Sgt_Schultze]

Yes, “sensible” gun measures = gun restrictions proposed by leftists.

[stephenjohnbanker]

Give a leftist an inch, and you lose it all.

[Sgt_Schultze]

I missed that. What a “brave” newspaper to allow such an opinion and silence competing opinions.

[Sergio]

To the author of the article.

First, if gun restrictions work, explain Chicago?

Second, please define the word “sensible”.

[muawiyah]

Fairfax County VA, where I live, has a homicide rate of about 1 per hundred thousand ~ that's less than half that of New York City.

We have folks walking around with pistols in holsters and operate under a shall issue standard for concealed weapons.

New York City's own mayor came here and engaged in unlawful gunrunning!

The lesson is ~ do not believe any New York politicians about anything. They have a runaway murder rate just like they do in Maryland. Best we remove the bridges over the Potomac to keep them there and out of Virginia!~

[a fool in paradise]

Sensible voter ID requirements curb vote fraud.

Ball is in the liberals’ court now.

[arthurus]

The author proves his contention with leftist logic. Simple assertion makes it so. Facts are not relevant. It stems from a very basic liberal tenet- Reality is a mental construct.

[Iron Munro]

Almost everything Big-Gov RINOs and liberals do in response to a crime or a terrorist attack ignores the root causes and has the effect of punishing the innocent.

They both like to spin a tragedy to pursue their core agendas but liberals are by far the worst.

Muslim terrorists use aircraft to slaughter 3,000 on 9/11 and the government’s politically correct response is to ignore muslims and strip search innocent Americans at the airport gates.

Crazy people, many on dangerous prescription drugs, commit mass murders and the response is to ignore the mental health issues and take guns away from innocent citizens.

Vicious gang-bangers murder at random in cities like Chicago and Washington and the response is to keep guns out of the hands of innocent citizens.

[MMaschin]

I agree, all one needs to do to see the effect of strict gun laws, is to look at Chicago.

I do believe in the need to restrict gun sales in certain cases (mainly just convicted felons). And background checks are really the only way to do that.

I think there is a better way to administer background checks. One that would make it possible to insure that a buyer at a gun show, or internet sale, has completed a background check, AND make it harder for the federal government to create a gun registry. Simply move the burden of acquiring the background check from the seller, to the buyer. If you want to buy a gun, you would go to a local law enforcement office, and acquire a certificate allowing you to legally purchase a gun. The certificate would be presented to the buyer at the time of purchase. And strict penalties could be imposed on sellers caught selling a gun to a buyer without a 'background cert'.

This would put more controls on the sale of guns, but the only government involved would be local, who are in my opinion much more trustworthy.

[Sooth2222]

"In New York City, gun violence has been dramatically reduced by strong measures at the state level and even stronger measures sponsored by Mayor Michael Bloomberg. These include a measure making it very difficult for individuals to get concealed carry permits. The Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to that law. As a result, New York City has the second lowest homicide rate in the nation, 2.72 per hundred thousand residents, right behind San Jose."

Then again, Chicago, where it is very difficult to own a gun, has a homicide rate of 15.65 per 100,000 population, about the same as Ghana.

[Jeff Winston]

I think they disable comments for all opinion pieces.

In which case: Why have the commenting system at all?

[budwiesest]

My theory as well. The left lives in a dream world. Reality can’t sink in. Funny how they named the ‘Dream Act’ after what it is in reality-a dream. Our country was founded by men who understood people,, and went about finding a way to lessen the chances that we might have to live under tyranny, which was the more common condition in societies. Barak Obama is proof that their designs weren’t foolproof. We now have the fools to prove it.

[Travis McGee]